Improvement in apparatus for purifying salt-brine



L. R. CORNELL. lmprovementin Apparatus 'for Purifying Salt Brine. No.129,397. Patent ed]uly16, 1872.

l/i tness x PATENT OFFICE.

LEFFEItT It. CORNELL, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING SALT-BRINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,397, dated July 16,1872.

Specification of certain Improvements in Apparatus for PurifyingSalt-Brine, invented by LEFFERT R. CORNELL, of Syracuse, in the countyof Onondaga and State of New York.

Nature and Object of the Invention.

It is well known to those acquainted with the manufacture of common saltor chloride of sodium that the brine from saline wells generallycontains impurities which are deleterious to the salt and embarrassingin the process of manufacture, and various modes have been suggested andimprovements devised for the purpose .of removing these impurities,either before or during the evaporation of the brine to produce thesalt.

My invention relates to the equalization of currents of air to be forcedthrough the brine, and to the discharge of the steam arising from thebrine, by means of an artificial draught and consists in theconstructions and devices for that purpose hereinafter described.

Description of the Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section of a tank and pipesdesigned to be the cover being removed.

General Description.

A is a tank or pan to contain the brine to be operated upon, and B is acover of the same, which is so constructed and attached that it may beremoved, if desired. I prefer to make said cover pyramidal, as shown inthe drawing, or conical, and I provide it with a flue or chimney, O, atthe top, to discharge the steam which arises from the saline water whilebeing operated upon. Said cover is also provided with a door, D, bywhich access may be had to the pan without removing the entire cover. Eis a pipe, designed to be connected at the outer end with a heatingapparatus and a blower for heating the air which is to be forced throughthe brine. F is a large pipe placed at the bottom of the tank A, whichpipe F is connected to the pipe E, and also with smaller pipes G G,which latterconnect with the large pipes H H, and have perforations a ain their sides, as shown, to allow the air to be driven through theminto the saline water contained in the tank A. The pipes G G are thussupported above the bottom of the tank, so as to be out of the way ofthe impurities which will settle upon the bottom of the tank. Thesepipes G G should be of sufficient size, in proportion to the size of theorifice a a, to allow the air to flow freely through them to the pipes HH, and give an equal or nearly equal pressure through all of theapertures a a. It will be obvious that by the combination of thedistributing-pipe F, equalizing-pipes H H, and the series ofdischarge-pipes placed between them, a very perfect and equal dischargeof the air through the whole body of the brine is effected, and thedistributing and equalizing-pipes, as well as discharge-pipes, beingarranged where they will be beneath the surface of the brine, the heatradiated through them from the hot air which they contain is all made topass into the brine and thus utilize it for its evaporation. I is a pipewhich is connected to the pipe E, as shown, and extends upward from itnearly or quite into the chimney G, to furnish a blast of hot air atthat point, to aid in carrying off the steam which arises from thesaline water in the tank. To avoid the expense of heating this portionof the air the pipe I may be connected directly to the blower orfurnished from a separate blower; but this last arrangement might,perhaps, involve the objection that a current of cold air might have atendency to condense the steam or retard evaporation. For the purpose ofsupplying the necessary heated air I prefer to employ the blower knownin the market as the McKenzie blower, though any good fan-blower orairpump will answer; and for heating the air on its way from the blowerto the tank A I prefer'an apparatus such as or similar to that describedin the Letters Patent of the United States granted to me for asuperheater October 1, 1867. outside atmosphere by the blower and forcedthrough the heating apparatus, where it is properly heated, is forcedthrough the pipe E and thence through the pipes F G G H H and aperturesa a into the brine in the tank, sufficient pressure being employed forthat purpose to overcome the resistance of the brine to the occupationby the air of the pipes contained in the said brine. I prefer to givethe The air being drawn from the Claims.

"I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the tank A, cover B,

opening or chimney G, and pipe I, substantially as hereinbefore setforth.

2. The combination of the tank A, pipe E, pipe F, pipes G G providedwith apertures a a, and pipes H H, the whole being constructed andarranged substantially as hereinbefore set forth. 7

3. The combination of the tank A, cover B, opening or chimney G, pipe E,and pipes G G having apertures a a, substantially as hereinbefore setforth.

LEFFERT R. CORNELL. Witnesses:

DAVID RENSHAW, THos. P. How.

